The Niju Kun 20 precepts of Shotokan

The Niju Kun: 20 precepts

Most students of Karate as very used to the Dojo Kun, perhaps because it is repeated time and again after each class from the time you are a while belt right thru your black belt times and even when you are an instructor. The Dojo Kun deals with wide scope ideaology that basically shows you things that you should do to be a good person. It does not really address Karate per see, or how to train in Karate.

I don’t know of a single person I have trained with who could tell me the Niju Kun, let alone what the 20 precepts were…or were for. The point of the Niju kun is very much about teaching Karate, training in Karate and what one should feel when doing Karate. Its an ideal ideology on what one should be looking to while training, not so much just about being a good person but how to treat and aggressor and such. Its the opposite of the feel good Dojo kun, its more about how to apply the deadly art we like to pretend is a family sport.

One of the problems with the Niju Kun is exactly what it talks about…its bad for the image of what the Karate world is trying to portray to Moms and Dads as they drop their kids into the local McDojo, its pure…raw…and physical. The Niju Kun places Karate back into the ideal of Budo and away from sport Karate….it makes fun of those thinking of scoring points and it basically makes the student aware that with the right training, what they are doing when they dance their dance can be a whole lot more than just aerobics.

This is not to say that the Dojo kun is useless or misleading, it is not. If we train everyone to be killing machines and make them focus on the kind of training that they need to survive a street fight, but don’t make them human…we would be in for a world of trouble. When reading the Niju Kun, and after reading my comments. Please remember that the main focus of Karate is to balance you mentally and physically, to make better people….who can defend themselves.

The Niju Kun

Unlike the Dojo Kun, the Niju Kun was written by Gichin Funakoshi Sensei for his students as his style of Shotokan was in its infancy. He wanted to stress the lessons his masters had passed on to him and encourage them to be careful and diligent in their practice and teachings. He wanted to leave them with lessons they could train in after he was gone.

Funakoshi Sensei was also entering a new arena in the reality of Karate, the mass marketing of a whole system. Prior to this the average club had about 8-9 students and the instructors would mostly not charge them. They paid for their own clubs out of their great family wealth. Now, The emegration of Shotokan to the mainland meant that they would be teaching huge numbers of students and opening stand alone clubs that the students would support with their own money. He saw this coming and created the Niju Kun to keep the spirit of true Karate alive.

NIJU KUN: the 20 precepts of Shotokan Karate.

Karate-do wa rei ni hajimari rei ni owaru koto a wasaru na: Karate-do begins and ends with bowing. The very first line of the Niju kun brings us back to a very important point in Karate….Respect. Unlike “Respect others” We have a very pointed “Don’t do Anything Karate without first showing respect”. This protects against Egos and dangerous behavior by reminding us we need to respect our fellow students.

The Whole idea is not so much to keep us following etiquette and being polite, its to check your ego at the door. To often we see brown belts with pumped out chests and egos turn into tyrants on the dojo floor. The fact that they must show respect to each member of the club and bow to them is a way of countering this….but only if they know why they are doing it and don’t bow as a throw away gesture.

Karate ni sente nashi : There is no first strike in karate. This is one of the most debated Internet discussions I have ever seen. What does this mean? Well the beauty of the Niju kun is it makes you think. This line, to me, goes towards attitude…not so much application of techniques.

How boring would a tournament be if we had not first attack? How could we train in self defense if we don’t have a initial attacker? The point of this line is simply, again in my mind, that we should not be aggressive and “attack” first. It is always best to asses the situation and react.

This line does NOT exclude using a Karate technique to stop an assault from happening, even if it is to use Sen no Sen and attack first, it simply means that you should not go about looking to start fights!

Kind of Ironic that the Niju kun fell out of favor with the JKA many years ago and many of the instructors would go out, when they were much younger, and test their fighting ability by picking fights with Yakuza (gangs) and going to bars and getting into fist fights. They were not the only ones as well. It is well documented that Azato would do the same thing, and many other great masters.

The point of the whole thing is basically don’t pick fights, or don’t be overly aggressive. Hold your temper and use Karate only when needed.

Karate wa, gi no taske: Karate stands on the side of justice. We need far more of this in our society. I have seen instructors doing illegal things, acting immorally and basically abusing their students and their position…and those in the upper level of the organizations do NOTHING. Also I have seen far to many senior instructors turn their back on the indiscretions of their students…they say “hey it did not happen in the clubs so what can I do”….for one….refuse to teach the person!

A true Karate student will step in and risk themselves when others need their help, they will step up and say something when they don’t think something is right. They will push till the truth and justice is served. Not sit in the back saying “yah, but I want my black belt”! Karate can only be a good thing if it is used as a sword for justice, not for apathy or immorality.

Mazu onore o shire, shikashite ta o shire : First know yourself, then know others. Seems like Sensei Funakoshi was not against borrowing heavily from Lau Tzu! The know yourself line is a biggie in Chinese thinking, serves to stand he would take it seeing as he studied the Chinese classics.

In a nut shell this means that you need to figure out who you are, what is your character, what do you stand for and what you want out of training….before you try and teach others and know your own abilities before you try and challenge others truthfully.

The premise of knowing yourself before you try to know others is a good one for teachers to remember and also so you don’t get lost in the process. To often I see students forget that there is a difference between who they are and who they think they are…this is when people get physically hurt.

Gijitsu yori shinjitsu : Mentality over technique. This is the true value of a black belt. They may not have the best techniques, they may not be the toughest guy in the club. But they show heart, effort and try. The athlete that has it come easy is easily board and run off. The man/woman that strives to get their black belt and pushes through hard times and struggles to reach each goal has the right mentality.

The personal character of a person will decide if they are worthy of being called a black belt and being seen as a black belt, or if they will be simply viewed as the owner of a black chunk of cloth! Therefore it should be effort, perseverance, character and dedication before fancy kicks, perfect form and ability to physically master others.

Kokoro wa hanatan koto o yosu : The heart must be set free. At some point in our training we will need to see two things, first that our instructor lets us “look around” and learn on our own. We need to be set free and encouraged to explore and train hard with others that can help us. And the second is that we learn to release our spirit in each class. We need to let the tiger go and train with spirit.

“the heart must be set free” has several ideas behind it, but the main point is that we train without holding back and learn to train with our complete spirit released.

Wazawai wa ketai ni seizu : Calamity springs from carelessness. Almost without exception, every single injury I have had or those I have worked with could have been avoided or at least less damaging if the person who was hurt or the other student had proper gear, was more careful and paid attention during class.

I broke my nose not paying attention, got KO’d by not thinking safety first and saw so many injuries that a mouth guard or hand pads could have helped avoid.

So, don’t train with poor gear or no gear available and also be sure to be safe during training be being alert and not goofing off!

Dojo nomino karate to omou na : Karate goes beyond the dojo. Karate and the way you behave goes beyond the club. If you act like an idiot outside the club or show basic poor character, don’t expect us to want you as a black belt. This line is really has two distinct points to make for me, first off Karate is not just about having nice form and being able to hang with other black belts in the club, it has a lot to do with the kind of person you are, the way you support the group and what you do outside the club. Being a representative for Karate means you are doing this inside and outside the club. You do not have to follow the Dojo kun (being a good person) just while you are in the club and the amount of effort you put into the club while not on the floor perspiring is also just as important.

More along the lines of actual Karate outside the club, don’t let your guard down and walk around like a blind person…even a visually impaired person is way more alert than some of my students outside the club. Remember what the original intent of Karate is, self defense. Note that I am saying you should be alert and use your senses, not jump around kicking and punching people. The best way to become a victim of crime is to look and act like one!

Karate-do no shugyo wa isssho de aru : Karate is a lifelong pursuit. I see this far to often. People mis-understand what a black belt is, they train very hard and then gain their black belt and Whamo…they quit. They think they have reached some end, some goal….when in fact it is only the first step…that’s what Dan means….step!

Karate is a lifelong pursuit and that means putting your time in from the day you start till the day you die. If you quit Karate training that is the only time you fail at Karate. But if you stick it out to the end, you will get great rewards for your effort; less stress, better health and a clear mind.

So often students come in and think that black belt is the goal that is so wrong! The goal is a healthy life, training with likeminded people, working towards living longer and also sharing a bit of ourselves with others. The black belt….it is a distraction that perhaps should be relabeled as “advanced student” and not seen as it is now.

Ara yuru mono o karateka seyo; sokoni myomi ari : Apply the way of karate to all things. Therein lies its beauty. Karate should never be seen as just a way of kicking and punching. It has so many hidden and not so hidden benefits that it should be looked at more by the powers that be as a potential add on to the school system and perhaps funded by the government! But that is just a personal dream of mine.

Karate can help in all facets of your life, not just for self defense or fitness but for mental health and also for personal growth! During the hardest times of my life I found myself turning to the physical, mental and spiritual teachings that Karate have brought to me. I turned to Karate during travesty and also during fantastic times. I learned to keep my temper and my patience with Karate.

At work I use my Karate training dealing with people, I use it in my daily drive home…making sure I am aware of my surroundings and also avoiding injury when other, not so alert drivers end up being not as careful. The few times I was hurt very bad outside of Karate I used it to calm myself and keep myself from going into shock!

Being Dyslexic I also use my Karate skills to concentrate and I can say, if not for Karate I would not have my university or college degrees. Karate has also helped me when life thru me curve balls and I am sure it will continue to do this for me in the future.

Karate is not just for the Dojo, it can help me in all things in life and yes, it is a beautiful thing!

I will take on the last half of the Niju Kun next time. The next half is were Sensei Funakoshi really set up how to train in Karate to be more effective and to harness this deadly art and these deadly skills.